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Woodside’s Louisiana LNG signs gas supply deal with BP
Woodside’s Louisiana LNG signs gas supply deal with BP
Sydney, 30 April (Argus) — Australian independent Woodside Energy has signed a long-term supply deal with oil major BP for feedstock gas for the first two stages of its Louisiana LNG project, totalling 16.5mn t/yr, ahead of first production planned for 2029. The agreement is the first in a series of planned deals enabling diversified supply into the three-train Louisiana LNG project, with up to 640bn ft³ (18bn m³) to be piped to the facility via the proposed Line 200, Woodside said on 30 April. Lines 200 and 300 form one of two interstate pipeline schemes proposed as part of the project. The dual 42-inch pipelines running about 37 miles (60 km) and 34 miles respectively from Ragley in Beauregard Parish to Carlyss in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, have planned capacity of 4.6bn ft³/d with maximum seasonal capacity of 5.7bn ft³/d, Woodside said. The 96-mile Driftwood mainline pipeline to be built through Evangeline, Acadia, Jefferson Davis and Calcasieu parishes will average 4bn ft³/d, Woodside said. Woodside reached a final investment decision for Louisiana LNG on 29 April after selling down 40pc of the project's infrastructure to US-based investment firm Stonepeak in early April. The facility holds permits for 27.6mn t/yr of capacity, with an eventual total of five trains planned. By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Bio-LNG could boom by early 2030s under IMO deal
Bio-LNG could boom by early 2030s under IMO deal
London, 14 April (Argus) — Compliance with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) newly agreed global greenhouse gas (GHG) two-tier pricing mechanism will require LNG-powered ships to transition to bio-LNG by 2029 under the encouraged 'direct compliance' tier, or by 2033 for the minimum 'base target' tier, or else potentially incur heavy costs. The pricing mechanism was approved by IMO delegates on 11 April in London. Formal adoption will be decided in October, at the next Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting, when a two-thirds majority vote will be required. The text says ships must reduce their fuel intensity by a "base target" of 4pc in 2028 (see table) against 93.3g CO2e/MJ, the latter representing the average GHG fuel intensity value of international shipping in 2008. This gradually tightens to 30pc by 2035. The text defines a "direct compliance target", that starts at 17pc for 2028 and grows to 43pc by 2035. Well-to-wake emissions for LNG diesel-type engines at dual fuel slow speed are equal to 76.08g CO2e/MJ, an 18.4pc emission reduction from the IMO's 2008 benchmark. In theory, this means the average LNG-vessel is compliant with the IMO's scheme until 2029 under both maximum and minimum tiers, or until 2033 under the base target. Waste-based bio-LNG carries a GHG intensity of between 30 and -100g CO2e/MJ depending on feedstock and production, which translates to between 68.09-206.4pc GHG emissions savings, making it compliant across all tiers. However, the uptake of bio-LNG may be capped. Many LNG-capable vessels run on dual-fuel engines, meaning ship-owners may be more inclined to adopt biodiesel, ammonia or other diesel-engine applicable fuels, depending on price levels and other real-world drawbacks. The pricing mechanism establishes a levy for excessive emissions at $380 per tonne of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) for ships compliant with the 'base' target, called Tier 2. For ships in Tier 1 — those compliant with the base target but that still have emission levels higher than the direct compliance target — the price was set at $100/tCO2e. Instead of physically transitioning to a greener fuel, ships could meet targets using 'surplus units', which will be allocated to over-compliant vessels equal to their positive compliance balance, expressed in tCO2e, and valid for two years after emission. Ships then will be able to use the surplus units in the following reporting periods, transfer to other vessels as a credit, or voluntarily cancel as a mitigation contribution. This could give rise to an entirely new ticket market or emissions trading scheme (ETS) common in many European markets for other transport fuel sectors. LNG vessels accounted for more than 2pc of the active global shipping fleet as of October last year, according to energy industry coalition SEA-LNG, but make up the majority of new-build alternative marine vessel orders over the next 10 years. By Madeleine Jenkins IMO GHG reduction targets Year Base Target Direct Compliance Target 2028 4% 17% 2029 6% 19% 2030 8% 21% 2031 12% 25% 2032 17% 30% 2033 21% 34% 2034 26% 39% 2035 30% 43% Source: IMO Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Oil and gas lobby calls H2 'core competency,' hails 45v
Oil and gas lobby calls H2 'core competency,' hails 45v
Houston, 10 April (Argus) — The oil and gas industry views hydrogen production as a "core competency" and sees 45v tax credits driving US exports and innovation, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API). "We really see this, especially from the oil and gas perspective, as a core competency," said Rachel Fox, API director of policy and strategy, on a webinar Thursday hosted by ConservAmerica. "We have such an advantageous opportunity with this credit," said Fox. "When we're talking about the export opportunity, we really do hold the cards in terms of producing hydrogen at the lowest cost anywhere in the world." The 45V incentive has become a crucible in President Donald Trump's agenda to promote fossil fuels. A broad-based coalition of groups sometimes at odds with one another has coalesced in favor of 45V noting that it promotes manufacturing jobs across rural America and sets up US energy companies to dominate growing global demand for cleaner burning fuels. Nonetheless, ConservAmerica described such energy tax incentives as being "squarely in the crosshairs" as legislators gear up for budget negotiations in which the administration is looking to slash government spending to offset a promised corporate tax cut. By tying a tiered scale of incentives to carbon intensity, 45V has spurred oil and gas companies to develop technologies and practices that curb emissions, said Fox. "There's a lot of incentive to try to hit that $3 mark by getting your hydrogen produced at a really low carbon-intensity limit and so it's galvanized a ton of innovation and a ton of new ideas on how that can be done throughout the natural gas system," said Fox. Most of those ideas revolve around lowering the methane intensity of natural gas production or sourcing low-methane intensity natural gas, such as from biowaste, said Fox. Some environmental advocates are skeptical that emissions from natural-gas based hydrogen production can be driven low enough to qualify for the highest $3/kg tier with existing technology and that most oil and gas companies will instead have to use less lucrative 45Q credits that apply to carbon capture and storage technology (CCS). However, at least one major energy company, ExxonMobil, has said it is seeking 45V to advance its massive natural-gas based hydrogen and ammonia project in Baytown, Texas. By Jasmina Kelemen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia’s gas leaders hit out at market intervention
Australia’s gas leaders hit out at market intervention
Sydney, 2 April (Argus) — Senior figures in Australia's upstream gas sector have hit out at plans for intervention in the heavily regulated industry, as debate continues on how to best address domestic supply shortfalls later this decade. The federal Coalition in March announced National Gas Plan including a 50-100 PJ/yr (1.34bn-2.68bn m³/yr) domestic reservation system aimed at forcing the three LNG exporters based in Queensland's Gladstone to direct more supply to the eastern states' market. But oversupplying the market to drive down prices would destroy the viability of smaller gas projects, Australian independent Beach Energy's chief executive Brett Woods said at a conference in Sydney on 1 April. The domestic-focused firm, which will export some LNG volumes via its Waitsia project in 2025, warns that such a move by the Peter Dutton-led opposition would reduce export incomes while harming Australia's international reputation. The volumes impacted by the policy could reach around 900,000-1.8mn t/yr. Expropriation of developed reserves is equivalent to breaking contracts with LNG buyers and with the foreign and local investors that the country needs for ongoing economic security, Woods said on 1 April. Domestic gas reservation systems put in place by the state governments of Western Australia (WA) and Queensland, designed to keep local markets well supplied, were "clearly supportable", Woods said, but only future supply should be subject to the regulations. LNG terminals, which represent about 70pc of eastern Australia's total gas consumption and shipped 24mn t in 2024 , should not be blamed for the failure of governments to expedite new supply and plan for Australia's gas future, head of Shell Australia Cecile Wake said in response to the Coalition's proposal. Shell's QGC business supplied 15pc of its volumes to the local grid, with the remainder shipped from its 8.5mn t/yr Queensland Curtis LNG project, Wake added. Canberra has moved to promote gas use as a transition fuel to firm renewable energy in line with its 2030 emissions reduction targets, but progress has been slow as reforming laws appear to be hampering development . The state governments, particularly in gas-poor Victoria and New South Wales (NSW), must recognise the need for locally-produced supply and streamline the approvals processes, especially environmental permits, executives said. But despite pleas for an end to years of interventionist policy — including the governing Labor party's measures to cap the price of domestic gas at A$12/GJ , Australia's fractured political environment and rising cost of living has sparked largely populist responses from its leaders. A so-called "hung" parliament is likely to result from the 3 May poll , with a variety of mainly left-leaning independents representing an anti-fossil fuel agenda expected to control the balance of power in Australia's parliament. LNG debate sharpens Debate on the causes of southern Australia's gas deficit has persisted, and the ironic outcome of underinvestment in gas supply could be LNG re-imports from Gladstone to NSW, Victoria and South Australia, making fracked coal-bed methane — liquefied in Queensland and regasified — a likely higher-emissions alternative to pipeline supply. Several developers are readying for this possibility , which is considered inevitable without action to increase supply in Victoria or NSW, increase winter storages or raise north-south pipeline capacity. Australian pipeline operator APA appears to have the most to lose out of the active firms in the gas sector. APA chief executive Adam Watson this week criticised plans for imports, because relying on LNG will set the price of domestic gas at a detrimental level, raise emissions and decrease reliability of supply, Watson said. The firm is planning to increase its eastern pipeline capacity by 25pc to bring new supplies from the Bass, Surat and Beetaloo basins to market. But investment certainty is needed or Australia will risk needing to subsidise coal-fired power for longer if sufficient gas is unavailable to back up wind and solar generators with peaking power, Watson said. By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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